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            Railroad Bridge Inspection Using Drone-Based Digital Image Correlation
      

      
  Document Series
              Research Results


      
  Author
          Federal Railroad Administration


      
Report Number
              RR 23-02

  Office
              RDI-21


      Subject
                    Track


      
  Keywords
              Autonomous drone flight control, stereo digital image correlation, remote bridge inspection


      

      
      
              
                  
      
              
  Document
              Railroad Bridge Inspection Drone-Based.pdf (548.01 KB)

      
              Continuous railroad operations on aging railway infrastructure requires systematic and effective inspection. Visual inspections are time consuming and can lead to inconsistent results. In a research project conducted between April 2021 and June 2022, the University of South Carolina (UofSC) developed and tested a new uncrewed aircraft system (UAS, or drone) for structural inspections. A stereo digital image correlation system (StereoDIC) on this drone made noncontact measurements of deformation and stress on infrastructure. With support from CSX Transportation (CSX), UofSC tested the system on a railroad bridge in Columbia, SC. Project results show that this type of system may be useful for inspecting railroad bridges and other structures.
      
            
      
      
              Last updated: Friday, February 17, 2023 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

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